Listen free for 30 days
-
Off Armageddon Reef
- Safehold Series, Book 1
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Series: Safehold, Book 1
- Length: 29 hrs and 58 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
On Basilisk Station
- Honor Harrington, Book 1
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having made a superior look a fool, Honor Harrington has been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin. Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.
-
-
A very good production of a good Space Opera
- By Jernau Gurgeh on 15-05-09
-
In Fury Born
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 31 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imperial Intelligence couldn't find them, the Imperial Fleet couldn't catch them, and local defenses couldn't stop them. It seemed the planet-wrecking pirates were invincible. But they made a big mistake when they raided ex-commando leader Alicia DeVries' quiet home/work, tortured and murdered her family, and then left her for dead. Alicia decided to turn "pirate" herself, and stole a cutting-edge AI ship from the empire to start her vendetta. Her fellow veterans think she's gone crazy, the Imperial Fleet has shoot-on-sight orders. And, of course, the pirates want her dead, too.
-
-
Very good
- By Leslie on 05-02-21
-
Mutineer's Moon
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Lt. Commander Colin Maclntyre, it began as a routine training flight over the moon. For Dahak, a self-aware Imperial battleship, it began millennia ago when that powerful artificial intelligence underwent a mutiny in the face of the enemy. The mutiny was never resolved - Dahak was forced to maroon not just the mutineers but the entire crew on prehistoric Earth.
-
-
Great Listen
- By Billg on 25-08-20
-
Crown of Slaves
- By: David Weber, Eric Flint
- Narrated by: Peter Larkin
- Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Star Kingdom's ally Erewhon is growing increasingly restive in the alliance because the new High Ridge regime ignores its needs. Add to that the longstanding problem of a slave labor planet controlled by hostile Mesans in Erewhon's stellar back yard, a problem which High Ridge also ignores.
-
-
Enjoyable story, but odd pronunciation
- By Dave on 31-10-11
-
March Upcountry
- Prince Roger Series, Book 1
- By: David Weber, John Ringo
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock was young, handsome, athletic, an excellent dresser, and third in line for the Throne of Man. So it wasn't surprising that he became spoiled, self-centered, and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life?
-
-
Great sci-fi.
- By Oliver on 22-11-10
-
The Worldship Humility
- By: R. R. Haywood
- Narrated by: Colin Morgan
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been 120 years since the 50 or so worldships containing the few million survivors of the human species set off after the planet Earth was destroyed by a meteor. On the Worldship Humility, Sam, a 30-year-old Airlock Operative, is bored. Living in space should be exciting and full of adventure, except it isn’t, and he fills his time hacking 3-D movie posters and holographic adverts outside the stores in the retail zone. Petty thief Yasmine Emile Dufont is also from the WS Humility, but she is not bored....
-
-
Good- but again no ending
- By Ian on 23-04-19
-
On Basilisk Station
- Honor Harrington, Book 1
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having made a superior look a fool, Honor Harrington has been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin. Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.
-
-
A very good production of a good Space Opera
- By Jernau Gurgeh on 15-05-09
-
In Fury Born
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 31 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imperial Intelligence couldn't find them, the Imperial Fleet couldn't catch them, and local defenses couldn't stop them. It seemed the planet-wrecking pirates were invincible. But they made a big mistake when they raided ex-commando leader Alicia DeVries' quiet home/work, tortured and murdered her family, and then left her for dead. Alicia decided to turn "pirate" herself, and stole a cutting-edge AI ship from the empire to start her vendetta. Her fellow veterans think she's gone crazy, the Imperial Fleet has shoot-on-sight orders. And, of course, the pirates want her dead, too.
-
-
Very good
- By Leslie on 05-02-21
-
Mutineer's Moon
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Lt. Commander Colin Maclntyre, it began as a routine training flight over the moon. For Dahak, a self-aware Imperial battleship, it began millennia ago when that powerful artificial intelligence underwent a mutiny in the face of the enemy. The mutiny was never resolved - Dahak was forced to maroon not just the mutineers but the entire crew on prehistoric Earth.
-
-
Great Listen
- By Billg on 25-08-20
-
Crown of Slaves
- By: David Weber, Eric Flint
- Narrated by: Peter Larkin
- Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Star Kingdom's ally Erewhon is growing increasingly restive in the alliance because the new High Ridge regime ignores its needs. Add to that the longstanding problem of a slave labor planet controlled by hostile Mesans in Erewhon's stellar back yard, a problem which High Ridge also ignores.
-
-
Enjoyable story, but odd pronunciation
- By Dave on 31-10-11
-
March Upcountry
- Prince Roger Series, Book 1
- By: David Weber, John Ringo
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock was young, handsome, athletic, an excellent dresser, and third in line for the Throne of Man. So it wasn't surprising that he became spoiled, self-centered, and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life?
-
-
Great sci-fi.
- By Oliver on 22-11-10
-
The Worldship Humility
- By: R. R. Haywood
- Narrated by: Colin Morgan
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been 120 years since the 50 or so worldships containing the few million survivors of the human species set off after the planet Earth was destroyed by a meteor. On the Worldship Humility, Sam, a 30-year-old Airlock Operative, is bored. Living in space should be exciting and full of adventure, except it isn’t, and he fills his time hacking 3-D movie posters and holographic adverts outside the stores in the retail zone. Petty thief Yasmine Emile Dufont is also from the WS Humility, but she is not bored....
-
-
Good- but again no ending
- By Ian on 23-04-19
-
Steel World
- Undying Mercenaries, Book 1
- By: B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the twentieth century Earth sent probes, transmissions and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy.
-
-
Should I start this series
- By luke on 10-06-15
-
The Trapped Mind Project
- A Science Fiction Fantasy LitRPG Series
- By: Michael Chatfield
- Narrated by: Tristan Morris
- Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He made it to the top. As CEO of an asteroid mining company, Austin has accomplished everything he ever wanted in business. Now, he needs more. To get away he turns to a fantasy video game. He just wants peace and quiet, play as a dwarf, build a house, do some smithing and character building. His idea of the perfect fantasy game. Then he learns their secret. If he gets caught, it means death. He’ll need help along the way. How can he convince anyone they’re slaves in a bigger game and stay under the radar?
-
-
So long, but so worth it!
- By kanundra on 15-07-17
-
The Shadow of Saganami
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 30 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Star Kingdom has a new generation of officers! And this elite group hand-picked and trained by Honor Harrington herself is going to be needed immediately, as their first assignment turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expected. What was supposed to be a quiet outpost, far from the blazing conflict between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the People's Republic of Haven has actually been targeted by an unholy alliance between the slaveholders of Manpower.
-
-
Where has Alyson gone?
- By N. J. Addley on 30-10-13
-
The Lost Fleet
- Dauntless
- By: Jack Campbell
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel, Jack Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Alliance has been fighting the Syndic for a century, and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is Captain John "Black Jack" Geary, a man who has emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief. Now, he must live up to his own legend.
-
-
Young adult novel at best
- By Mara on 10-08-19
-
Spellmonger
- Spellmonger, Book 1
- By: Terry Mancour
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Minalan gave up a promising career as a professional warmage to live the quiet life of a village spellmonger in the remote mountain valley of Boval. It was a peaceful, beautiful little fief, far from the dangerous feudal petty squabbles of the Five Duchies, on the world of Callidore. There were cows. Lots of cows. And cheese. For six months things went well: He found a quaint little shop, he befriended the local lord, the village folk loved him, he found a sharp young apprentice to help out, and, best yet, he met a comely young widow with the prettiest eyes.
-
-
If only a sixth star was available...
- By Alan R on 10-03-17
-
Dreadnaught
- The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier
- By: Jack Campbell
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel, Jack Campbell - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first book of best-selling sci-fi author Jack Campbell’s new series Beyond the Frontier returns to find Captain John “Black Jack" Geary, the hero of the Lost Fleet series, awoken from cryogenic sleep to take command of the fleet. Geary’s legendary exploits have earned him the adoration of the people—and the enmity of politicians convinced that a living hero can be a very inconvenient thing.
-
-
Fantastic continuation series
- By Gruffydd on 09-03-18
Summary
When Earth herself lay under siege by an enemy humankind could not defeat, mankind undertook one last throw of the dice: Operation Ark. Earth's final colonizing expedition was meant to build a new civilization, on a planet so distant even the Gbaba might never find it and without the high-tech infrastructure whose emissions might betray its location.
Eight centuries later, a commander from that Expedition, Nimue Alban, woke up in a cave on a planet called Safehold. She was surprised to discover that the fanatic administrators of Operation Ark had used mind-control techniques to create a false, brutally suppressive religion whose entire purpose was to forbid invention and innovation forever.
But a tiny fraction within Operation Ark's leadership remembered the truth and believed in human dignity and freedom. They've given Nimue Alban a carefully hidden cache of technology and the capabilities of the android body in which her memories, loves, hopes, and dreams live on. Now it's her job to somehow provoke the technological progress and freedom of thought and belief that the Church of God Awaiting has worked centuries to crush.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Off Armageddon Reef
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary K.
- 02-02-15
Amusing Yarn
Enjoyable, but predictable, with the result - ie clever android with serious tech manipulates a pre-reformation civilization.- never seriously in doubt. If you like the "1632..." series you will like this novel. Characters interesting and my attention was held. Very good narration..
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr A S March
- 13-12-20
Recommended
A good book, with a great premise and it does leave me wanting the next one.
It is perhaps a little predicable and the main characters are all very heroic with no real flaws - similar to the same authors Honor Harrington character/series. No flawed anti-heroes to be found.
Pacing was a little off in the middle but the action it was building too was worth the wait.
The narrator is great, lots of voices, among the best I've heard.
Recommended
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shaun
- 14-05-17
Amazing, just amazing
The story, reading and just everything about this book and the world's within it are captivating and awe inspiring.
100% recommended.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joe
- 01-12-15
Actually surprisingly good
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yeah, it's a decent story, if not a little detail-heavy.
The world is original, the story is gripping and the narrator has quite a nice voice, if not falling down a little with the accents.
What did you like best about this story?
The intrigue regarding the real origins of the Safeholdian religion.
Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances? How does this one compare?
N/A
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
WHAT IF YOUR ENTIRE RELIGION WAS A LIE?
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stephen
- 07-08-13
Dull
Any additional comments?
If you like sci fi then you'll like the first five minutes of this book , if you like Kings,Bishops,Vicars and that boring stuff then you'll love the rest of this 30 hour book.
Don't waste your time or credits !
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Alison
- 08-09-07
David Weber always good
I admit to bias - I will pick up a David Weber book without glancing at the dust jacket to see what its about. Off Armageddon Reef does not disappoint. Set in a completely different universe from his other books, its a study from multiple political, scientific and religiuos viewpoints of the emergence of a medival/renaissance level society to industrial age sophistication, set against religous strictures forbidding the change - with good reason - but flawed execution. The characters are well drawn - even the bad guys aren't all bad.
As always with David Weber, you have to be willing to sit through detailed descriptions of how the technical stuff works. If you are the type that skips that part to get to the action, you may find yourself hitting fast forward occasionally. I found that listening to the descriptions was actually easier than reading them and ended up listening and Not skipping over the technical stuff.
43 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael D. Boemker
- 11-12-17
Embrace the interminable journey
This should have been a great start for a series. Believable characters, decent plot, enough action to keep one entertained. The problem is that it drags on for 9 books without really resolving the conflicts and dangers spelled out in this first book. Maybe I shouldn't blame the author because I bought all 9 but I sure can't see a tenth book bringing the series to a close in a way that makes sense. At least you get of lot of time listening to each book. Perhaps I should look at this as a Political Science version of Lord of the Rings without the magic and without anybody finding the ring. Will I buy the next one if it comes out? Probably it is like the bad relationship where there is just enough attraction to keep from breaking up.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rena
- 03-12-12
The narrator sold me on this book.
I'll try to be as spoiler free as I can manage here...
This isn't the type of book I normally read, since it's pretty heavy on politics and warfare strategy. However, I was intrigued by the premise of a female's brain in an android's body, surviving her actual body and trying to right the wrongs of decades past. The name of Merlin intrigued me too. I'm a Merlin fan.
Once I started listening to the audiobook though (I originally borrowed this audiobook from my local library), I was completely sold on the story due to the dynamic and wonderful reading by Oliver Wyman. Scenes which, when I read them in a book are dull and tedious were brought to life in an entertaining manner. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book if I'd tried to read the paper version. Listening to it narrated here though, it was a fantastic mix of technology, slight of hand, and derring-do mixed in with the politics and strategizing.
When I'd finished, I was really looking forward to the next installment. This book was a fantastic listen. I'll be listening to it again soon.
47 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Alex Levine
- 25-03-13
Not original--but fun and very clever
I'll admit it: David Weber is one of my guilty pleasures. I've read or listened to every one of the Honor Harrington books and associated spin-offs. Some of the action sequences in the Safehold series will strike Honor Harrington fans as very familiar. I'm surely not the only one to notice that space battles 2000 years in the future bear an astonishing resemblance to eighteenth century naval battles. In the Safehold series Weber has brought the naval broadside back to its original vehicle, the cannon-armed sailing vessel.
Weber has also come up with a very clever device to allow him to get away with countless allusions to and outright absorption of mythological, historical, and literary sources. After all, we are told, the whole religious canon of the world of Safehold was plagiarized from terrestrial originals. This makes the author's occasional lapses of originality (how many times does one need to hear the line, "Here I stand, I can do no other"?) sound arch and meta, rather than hackneyed. It works.
At the time of this writing the series is up to six rather long books. I won't review the rest of them, except to say that while they sometimes drag, I'm still looking forward to the next.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steve Harrison
- 13-02-18
I couldn't make it all the way through
Any additional comments?
The other reviews say to hang in there and it gets better as the book goes on. I made it through 20 of the 30 hours and was bored to tears. I didn't think i was buying a book about medieval politics. I returned the book
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Professor
- 01-11-12
JEWEL OF CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION!!!!!
I'VE BEEN AVOIDING THIS BOOK SERIES.
I didn't even read the summary, I didn't like the name of the books or the book covers.
But last year I decided to give it a try and after 30 minutes I was in!!!
One week later I finished the fifth book, the last one released at that moment.
As always there were some negative and annoying moments but overall I consider this book to be a MASTERPIECE of CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION!!!!!
PS
The biggest negative part is constant changing of narrators!!!!
Please stop doing it!!!! It's annoying as hell.
37 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Suzanne
- 14-08-14
Slow start, great ending
This is a long book, in a very, very long series. I almost didn't continue after the first couple of chapters, but I'm glad I did. It grew on me. The slow beginning is necessary in order to set up the Safehold world. I enjoyed the story as it began to grow, and introduce the plot.
It's a slow moving book, with a lot of moving parts to keep track of, but it is mesmerizing, with a lot of detail. I did get a bit tired of the technical aspects of weapons and trooper movements, but overall, the characters are likable (or hate-able, as the case may be), and very clear which are heroes, and which are villians.
Definitely worth finishing!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- RichM
- 23-10-09
Politico Drama set in Fantasy
I downloaded this book thinking it was Deep Space Sci-Fi along the lines of the Hyperion series. The first chapters are just then. And then the remaining endless hours are long drawn out politico drama set in a pre-industrial human world. Seemingly every chapter introduces another three political figures and deepens the plot--or so I suppose. Frankly I lost interest in the dramas of 17th & 18th century type people.
What it does do nicely is give a concise history of 17th & 18th century warfare tactics and developments. But I didn't download this for history, I downloaded it for thought-provoking sci-fi.
Lastly, as if the history lesson were not enough to put me to sleep, the unstoppable main character whose super powers are unmatched in this luddite world does not even bring the slightest bit of tension or excitement to the story.
31 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- A reader
- 05-02-07
Entertaining SciFi epic with a few flaws
Generally, I have been enjoying this latest by Weber, it draws on fewer cliches then some of his other novels, and the plot moves quickly, even if only to set up the sequel. Since 40 hours is serious listening, however, here are the major strengths and weaknesses you may want to consider:
The strengths: An extremely original premise sets up an interesting world for Weber's typical story of technological and military progress in the face of forces designed to slow or stop it. Additionally, the story is quite engaging and generally well-written, despite the fact that this is clearly the beginning of a very long series and that the plot advances quite slowly relative to the length of the book. And, if you like history, especially military history, you will very much appreciate Weber's incredibly deep knowledge of the way that gunpowder was milled or cannons fixed to their carriages, and how that affected the ability of armies and countries to do battle or act as centers of commerce.
The weaknesses: Weber uses many of the standard tired narrative elements of both science fiction and military technothrillers in this book. For example, there are many long, and sometimes suprisingly complicated, technical descriptions that are presented as the musing or lectures of various characters ("Capt. Thundermountain thought of the advantages of using two rollers to mill grain. By reducing heat that caused grainocentisis, this would change the way flour production worked forever!" - except for 10 minutes at a time). Additionally, Weber draws characters with broad strokes, the bad guys tend to be pretty bad, the good guys very good; and there is little human emotion or interaction among the characters aside from "manly virtues," characters may respect, fear, or honor each other, but rarely have more complex interactions. There are also some occasionally repetitive or annoying word choices ("thunderous thunder," the fact that everyone is always cocking their eyebrows).
55 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gaia
- 23-09-19
Ummmm Yes Please
If I had read this book, I think my brain would have melted trying to remember characters (that's 100% on me), but with Oliver Wyman at the helm, giving each and every character their own distinct voice and diction, I had no problem leaning back and enjoying the HELL out of this epic adventure.
2 people found this helpful